The Portland daily press., 1887-05-31

MAJOR MELCHER's ADDRESS.
John Alexander Logan was born in Brown
Vile, ILL.,, Feb. 9, 1924. His father was DR..
John Logan, who came to this country from
the north of Ireland. His mother was Eliz-
abeth jenkins of North Carolina, of sturdy
Scotch descent. The oldest of eleven chill
dren, his boyhOod was spent in working on
the farm that surrounded the little log cabin,
in which he was born, and in which the fam
lily now lived, He was smart, daring boy,
and faithful friend. His father, being a
practicing physician and away from home
nearly all the time, John worked under the
direction of hired superintendent of the
farm, and received instruction from tutor
employed Tor the family. His associations
with these vigorous, hardy pioneers of civil
lizatlon during his boyhood, imbued the
young man with unconquerable energy, an
lndomtable will and stern sense of honor,
which, through his manhood and to the end
OF life, made him master spirit among men.
At the age of II he was sent to Shiloh Col
lege, where he remained three years, the full
course being interrupted by the breaking out
of the Mexican war, in which young Logan
took patriotic interest. He enlisted in the
First Illinois Volunteers, and was chosen
first lieutenant He served with distin ction
through that war, and at the end had be-
come acting quartermaster of his regiment.
This experience was invaluable to him in his
later career, when, in the War of the Rebel
lion, he was the foremost volunteer of the
Federal forces While at college Logan had
selected the law as a profession, and ON his
return from Mexico he became student in
the law department of the Louisville Uni
versity, from which he graduated in 1851,
and entered into law partnership with his
uncle, ex-Goy. jenkins, gaining lucrative
practice.
In 1856 he married Miss Mary S. Cunning
ham, the daughter of his old Mexican war
friend, Capt j. M. Cunningham.
She was then but 16 wears old hut was
known as gifted and noble minded young
lady. She had at this time shown herself to
be true spirit by the help she had been to
her mother during the absence of her father
IN Mexico and California, and since that
time has abundantly proved herself the no.
Bile woman aud wife in sympathy aud
help to her husband, accompanying him
everywhere as companion and helpmeet.
Logan was elected to the Legislature in
1852 and reelected in 1856.
In 1858 he was elected to represent his dis
trlct In Congress, and from the time he took
his seat in the House of Representatives his
rise was rapid, and his career became known
to the country.
He was again elected to Congress in 1860 as
Douglass Democrat, when Abraham Lin
coin was elected President, but although he
had advocated the election of Douglass as
President, yet when the mutterings of the
rebellion and the whisperings of secession
were heard, the fires of patriotism burned in
his breast and on the 9TH of February, 1861,
before the inauguration of President Lin
coin, he defined his position in the House OF
Representatives in these remarkable terms
These are his words:
u have been taught that the preservation
Oh this glorious union with its broad flag
waving over us as the shield of our protec
ton on land and sea. is paramount to all par
Ties and platforms that have existed or ever
can exist. l would to-day, if had the pow
er. sink my own party and every other one
with all their platforms, into the vortex OF
ruins, without heaving a sigh or shedding a
tear, to save the Union, or even to stay the
revolution where it isl
What declaration of unselish patriotism
Placing party and platforms under his feet,
he was first of all for the Union and the flag
which were dearer than all else to him.
80 anxious was he in the results of the first
battle OF Bull Run that he went out from
Washington to witness it, but seeing the re-
verses which were coming to our arms
there, he armed and equipped himself from
fallen soldier, and did valiant service in
checking the pursuit of the broken Union
columns, presenting most ludicrous APP
pearance in the ranks, dressed as he was in
suit OF black and tall silk hat.
As soon as he got back to Washington he
set about writing letters to his constituents
in Illinois urging them to enlist in defence OF
the Union, but the spirit of secess ion
was strong in that section, and required
lliolC ehdn W save IL 10 Tile
Union, so that as soon as Congress ad-
1Ourned he went directly there and by his
presence and patriotic efforts he at last sue
ceeded in arousing enthusiasm for the flag,
and in enlisting the Thirty-first illinois Reg
lment OF which he was appointed colonel,
and entered upon that brilliant military
career that placed him at the head of the
volunteer generals of the war. The baptism
OF blood came to him at Belmont, where he
led the charging columns upon the foe
AT Fort Henry his regiment captured eigh.
guns, and at Donelson he was terribly
wounded in leading an assault in which his
regiment lost over half of their number. The
severe exposure on this field sowed the seeds
OF disease that ended in his death while he
was yet In the prime of manhood.
Promoted TO brlgadier general he was able
to return to the front in time to participate
In the battle OF COrinth, where Gen. Sher-
man speaks of him as holding critical ground
on the right against large force of the
enemy. Advanced to the command of a diyi-
sion, he saved the day at Raymond and the
zeal ana wild enthusiasm, and to his diyi-
sion. as usual, belongs the honor of victory.
fearlesS as a lion, he was in every part of
the field and seemed to infuse every man of
his command with a part of his own indomit-
able energy and fiery valOr."
AT jackson and Champion Hills his diyi-
sion, under his brilliant leadership immortal
lied itself. At the siege of Vicksburg he
was one of the most prominent figures, and
his division was the first to enter the cap
tured city on the morning of that memorable
4th of July. witness of the same wrote of
him: 1.-The general rode at the head of his
division worshipped by his men-a man of
iron will and li0n-like courage, who seemed
under the blasts of war to change into a
demi-god
AS tribute to his gallantry and effective
service during the seige he was made mill
and q fu icp 1ofa nod
wonderful executive ability in caring for the
captured thousands of Pemberton's army
and the many other thousands of citizens
who were reduced almost to starvation.
Having been made major general he sue
ceeded Sherman as commander of the 10Th
Army Corps.
His parting address to the gallant division
he has so frequently led to victory, is worthy
of remembrance, he said: You have made
for yourself history to be proud of, his
tory never to be forgotten, for it is written
as with pen of fire dipped in ink of blood
in the memories and the hearts of all. Re-
member the glorious cause you are fighting
for, remember the bleaching bones of your
comrades killed on the bloody fields of Don
elson Corinth, Champion Hills and Vicks-
burg, or who perished by disease during the
past two years of hardship and exposure,
and swear by these imperishable memories
never, While life remains, to prove recreant
to the trust Heaven has confded to your
charge"
The splendid record he had made along the
Mississippi was made more brilliant by his
leadership Of the 10th Corps and later the
Army of the Tennessee in the Georgia cam
paign in 1864. Says one of the historians of
the Army of the Cumberland "As the
united armies advanced along the battle line,
where for four months the firing never wholly
ceased by day or by night, everybody came
to know Logan. Brave, yigilant and aggres-
slve, he won universal applause. Prudent
for his men and reckless in exposing his own
person. he excited general admiration. When
his lines were close his own headquarters
were often scarcely out of sight of the picket
line and he generally had hand in whatever
deadly work might spring up along the 'front.'
AT Rasaca, at Dallas, in front of frowning
Ranesaw, Peach Tree Greek and New Hope
Church his corps under his leadership added
to its fame.
When Mcpherson was killed, Logan as
sumed command of the Army of the Tennes-
see and and '.wrested victory from the Jaws
of defeat" We of the Cumberland heard
the noise of the cannon and the rattle of the
musketry that told of the severe assaults
made by the desperate foe on Logan's line. I
visited the field the next morning and saw
the terrible effects of the deadly struggle. The
ground was thickly strewn with the slain,
and the face of nature had been changed by
the conflict as though linen had fought upon
earth and tiends in upper air."
Logan's battle presence here is said to have
been sublime. The death of his beloved COM
mander and comrade in arms, served to
transform him into very Moloch Bare
headed he rode his lines, encouraging his
men by word and deed, his battle cry = Nc
Pherson and Tevengei" Sherman's official re-
port of the battle saws: